Being relaxed can be a difficult thing to do. While it should be easy to do, relaxing, doing nothing, and relaxing can be a challenge in today's fast-paced world. While there's no definitive solution, there are some quick and easy ways you can try that might help and make you feel relaxed, calm, and less stressed.
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Part 1 of 3: Relaxation and Reducing Stress
Step 1. Eat snacks to reduce stress
While helpful, food can also damage your body and mind. Some foods can make the brain produce certain hormones and make you happier. Here are some things you can try:
- Mango. This tropical fruit contains a lot of linalool which can lower the level of cortisol (a hormone that makes you feel stressed).
- Dark chocolate. Just about an ounce of dark chocolate can calm nerves and stabilize metabolic rate.
- Chewing gum. Chewing gum (or continuous chewing) can help fight anxiety and stress, as well as other negative moods.
- Complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread and oatmeal. All carbohydrates can trigger the brain to produce serotonin (that's why many people like carbohydrates). Serotonin is one of those compounds that makes your brain feel good. Enough consumption of chocolate complex carbohydrates for your health.
- Something dry. Research reports that a stressed person usually craves crunchy food, and that may be linked back to chewing (which has been shown to combat anxiety, as we mentioned above). To relieve your cravings and stress, grab some nuts, celery, or pretzels.
Step 2. Listen to your favorite song
If the song can relax you, why not. Research shows that listening to quiet music that you enjoy can help reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and lower anxiety levels. Also, the song doesn't have to be quiet and slow, but one that can definitely calm you down. So, if metal music really calms you down, listen to it.
Dancing while listening to music is also not the wrong way. Not only is it good for breathing exercises, but there are facts that prove that dancing can relieve anxiety. So, get up and start moving your body and mind
Step 3. Read a good book or fill in your journal
Even if you never or don't really like journaling, it's worth considering and giving it a try: recent research suggests that writing it down can help you get rid of your worries and become more confident, which in turn can improve your results on the things you're worried about (such as exams).. You may not feel relaxed when you write it down, but writing, you will feel better.
If that doesn't relax you, try reading a good book. It would be great if the book contained a lot of funny stuff. If you're looking for something more useful, try playing crossword puzzles to forget stress and focus on solving the crossword puzzle in front of you
Step 4. Try aromatherapy
This thing has been around for a long time because its soothing aroma is effective at making you feel relaxed. The smell of aromatherapy will enter the olfactory system to the brain, and relieve stress and anxiety when it reaches your brain. Smelling aromatherapy can make your whole body feel more relaxed.
Rose, bergamot, lavender, citrus, lemon, and sandalwood are all great scent choices. But, as long as the smell makes you feel relaxed, then it's good for you
Step 5. Drink tea
Did you know that chamomile, passionflower, and green tea have stress-fighting effects? These ingredients have been shown to relieve anger and even fight depression. So whenever you're looking for a drink, try ordering some tea.
In addition, there are many studies that prove that honey can fight anxiety and improve mood. If you don't like the regular tea, try mixing it with a teaspoon of honey for a better taste
Part 2 of 3: Finding Peace from Within
Step 1. Meditation
Did you know that just five minutes of meditation can relieve symptoms of stress and depression? Yes, just five minutes. So, there is no harm in trying. You just need a quiet and quiet place to then start focusing on your breath. If you really want to find an easy way, this is one of them.
More and more doctors are now recommending meditation to everyone to combat stress, anxiety, depression, or even chronic pain. We all have experienced at least one of these symptoms. Also, for meditation, you don't have to sit cross-legged and be on top of a mountain. Wherever you are, all you need to do is focus while doing it
Step 2. Watch your breath
If you don't want to meditate, try monitoring your breath. This method is proven to lower blood pressure, fight stress, and make you feel calm and relaxed. Here's how to get started:
- Balanced breathing is when you inhale and exhale slowly at the same rate. Inhale for a count of four, and exhale for a count of four. Once you get used to it, try increasing the count to five, six, seven, and eight for each inhalation and exhalation.
- Another common way is to take deep breaths with your diaphragm. Place your hands on your stomach and breathe in slowly through your nose lifting your stomach, not your chest. Try to do six to 10 deep breaths per minute for 10 minutes per day.
Step 3. Imagine a happy place
Sometimes all you need to do is move away from your surroundings mentally. A great way to reduce stress in the moment, calm your nerves, and focus your attention is to use visualization. Just close your eyes, and imagine a place that can make you feel good. Also use all your senses. What's the air like? Or can you smell something?
You can also create creative visualizations. Here you will describe an incident that made you happy. Maybe you can imagine your idol coming to your house and proposing, then you accept it and end up cuddling, getting married, and going on your honeymoon
Step 4. Create your own “space”
Our brains tend to associate a place with a certain feeling. That's why you are not recommended to bring office work to your room at home. But something like this can also work in a positive way. If you can get your brain to associate a certain place with relaxation, then that place can become your special space or 'zen' zone. When you want to calm down, just come to that place and your brain will immediately calm itself down.
The place can be anywhere and in any shape, starting from a chair in the room, a corner of the room, or even a room filled with pink ornaments. If the place really can make you relax, then this is the right place for you to calm down
Step 5. Be one with nature
How calm are you when you sit in your office chair or in your messy room? Humans so far have created many extraordinary things. But nothing can match the feeling you get from the outdoors. If you're feeling stressed, walk out. Take your theme or dog for a walk, or simply lie down on the meadow. There is something in nature that can make you feel calmer and more relaxed.
It's a very good idea to make enjoying the outdoors a part of your routine (after all, you need vitamin D, too). Do some exercise outside, take a short walk outside, or do some outdoor activities so you can get out of the house and relax your mind
Step 6. Get into position and calm yourself down
If you're feeling very stressed, there's a good chance you're not thinking about what's going on right now. To get out of your mind and back to the reality that lies ahead, start repositioning and calming yourself down. Here are some details:
- To reposition yourself, be aware of your surroundings. Where is this? What's the time now? What's the weather like now? If this was a novel, how would the author explain this background? This will keep you out of whatever is on your mind and focus on the world around you, free of stress and worry.
- After that, calm down. This means re-activating all your senses. How does your shirt touch on your back? Are your feet touching the floor? Did you hear or smell something? This helps you realize that there is a lot going on that you are not aware of so refocusing your brain on several different stimuli.
Part 3 of 3: Releasing Pressure on the Body
Step 1. Massage
You, like most people, may not have a personal masseuse always on hand at your side. But don't worry, you can still massage your own hands. Why? A massage can ease the heartbeat and provide an almost instantaneous feeling of relaxation. We always use our hands and never realize how much work our hand muscles are already doing (especially if you're working on a computer). A little muscle relaxation can relax your brain.
If you have the time and money, a full body massage from a professional is guaranteed to meet your relaxation needs and keep you calm. Focusing on your body and muscles can allow your mind to let go of all the worries your body is feeling, making you forget whatever is stressing you out
Step 2. Try progressive relaxation
Another way to control your breath and muscles to calm your mind is with progressive body relaxation. For this, lie down, then breathe comfortably while enjoying every moment. Shift your focus to the big toe and relax the big toe completely. Once you feel relaxed in that area, move your focus to your ankles. And so on until you do the same for the rest of the body, both small and large. When you finally get to the tip of your nose, you will feel very relaxed and won't want to wake up.
You can also do progressive relaxation through breathing. This way you will begin to focus on breathing slowly and evenly. Then, as you exhale, release some of the pressure in your body. Inhale as usual, focusing on the breath you're inhaling, then release another portion of the pressure on the next exhale. Each time you exhale, the more pressure you release, and you'll feel more relaxed
Step 3. Try shiatsu
Giving yourself a very comfortable massage is difficult, especially for hard-to-reach points like the shoulders and back. Try shiatsu, a tactile massage that helps release tension in the body. Each body has a pressure point, and pressing these points can balance body fluids and stabilize energy, thus making you more relaxed.
For an experiment, simply squeeze the skin between your index finger and thumb. Hold for five seconds, then release. Do you feel the pressure in your body go away as you release the squeeze?
Step 4. Do yoga or stretching
Yoga and stretching have been shown to relieve anxiety and reduce stress levels, making relaxation easier. Why? Because when you do yoga or stretching, you focus on your body, balance, and breath, and all three are able to take you out of the world that worries you and into a world of serenity.
The lying position and lifting the legs up is one of the yoga poses that is considered quite effective. The pose is also not complicated, just lie down with your buttocks against the wall and slightly lifted by the blanket, then lift your legs up. Hold this pose for five minutes then lower your legs
Tips
- Good posture will make you breathe better.
- Get out and get some fresh air. This will make you feel more refreshed and lighten the mood.
